Workshop on Application of Proteomics and Transcriptomics in EMF Research
30 October - 1 November 2005
Helsinki, Finland
Presentations, background, program & abstracts
Presentations
With thanks to both Dariusz Leszczynski at STUK in Finland, and Lutz Haberland at Cost281 for providing links to the workshop presentations.
Background
In spite of years of research, there is still uncertainty about whether the various biological effects produced by low-energy EMF pose either a health benefit or a potential health risk. In the area of long term effects, the vast majority of research has focused on the possibility of induction of genotoxicity, mutations, and cancer. At the same time, there continues discussion on whether or not EMF could induce some weak effects that, although not able to induce clinical disease, could induce effects detrimental to the quality of life. This could include such symptoms as sleep-disorders, headaches etc. There is also the possibility that the effects could lead to health benefits. Even when biological effects have been reported, the biophysical mechanisms behind their occurrence are unknown. Thus far, the hypothesis driven studies have been too specific to determine all the possible effects of EMF. The use of the high-throughput screening techniques (HTST) of proteomics and transcriptomics (so called 'Discovery Science') have been proposed as a useful approach to determine all possible biological targets of EMF on the sub-cellular level.
Workshop will address the following issues
- We have an uncertain effect – induction of a biological response by EMF, and we have a new technology that has very many limitations and uncertainties of its own. Will the combination of the uncertainty of the effect and the uncertainty of the method bring:
- more uncertainty, and possibly even chaos, to the studies on the possible biological effects of EMF, or
- will it speed up the discovery of new biological end-points that could be used in generating new hypotheses for further health-related studies?
- Which of the presently available HTST are the most suitable for studying EMF-induced biological effects?
- How can the data obtained with the use of HTST help in discovering the biophysical mechanism(s) behind any biological effects of EMF?
- Telecommunications are continuously developing and new EMF frequencies and modulations will be continuously introduced. Is there is a need for a relatively simple screening test that would determine whether new EMF frequency or modulation will induce unpredicted/unexpected biological effects, and what might it be? Such a rapid screening technique could be:
- a DNA chip/array with selected genes screening gene expression changes
- a protein array/chip with selected proteins – screening of protein expression changes
- a protein array/chip for screening of the changes in the activity of proteins (e.g. protein phosphorylation)
- a combination of all of the above
- Are we ready, and is it possible at this time, to develop a standardized test for screening future EMF frequencies in order to compare their effects with the effects of EMF frequencies already in use?
Meeting format
Two and a half days of open sessions where invited speakers will present papers on the above topics. The list of invited speakers will consist of several experts in the field of HTST methods and of several EMF researchers who are already applying HTST methods in screening for EMF biological effects. Ample discussion time will be provided.